GYM & WELLNESS

ABOUT THE ACTIVITY

Both gym and wellness were separate CAS activities. Although they were done and handled separately they are very similar in the way they were executed and in the outcomes attained. Wellness is part of the school curriculum since grade 11 up to grade 12. It is an activity that last both years of the DP program. In wellness in grade 11 a variety of activities were done, such as baseball, Ping-Pong, badminton, swimming, football, gymnastics and many others. In grade 12, wellness was no longer the same. Instead of having a vast number of activities we joined a near by gym. We would go to the gym every wellness class. On my free time I go to the gym as well. I commenced gym in grade 11 at Indy Village and in grade 12 when I joined Physical for wellness I changed there as it was more convenient. Both activities attained the same outcomes.

OUTCOMES

1.     Increased awareness of your strengths and areas for growth – Before wellness and commencing the gym I had been inactive for a couple months. Restarting exercise increased my awareness on how important exercise is. I learnt that exercise was a method of relaxation to me. Before I used to think that by going to the gym or doing some sport I would be using up time that I could invest into my studies, however I got the insight that exercising helps get energy and maintain a balanced lifestyle which is important.

2.     Undertaking new challenges – Starting gym was a challenge because at the start it is hard. Muscles hurt and when you aren’t used to it, it can get complicated. At first I felt out of my comfort zone as I was unaware of what I should do and what I shouldn’t however, with time I got a better insight into what I should do and I got accustomed to gym.

3.     Planned and initiated activities – As I was feeling slightly confused when I joined gym I created a gym plan with the help of some friends who had been in the gym for longer. This led gym to become a planned activity because it was pre-planned and I was following a detailed gym plan.   

4.     Show perseverance and commitment – At times gym and wellness could be hard. With school and a new form of physical exercise in the beginning ones body has to get accustomed. At times I felt like skipping a gym day however I was 100% committed and I pushed through.

5.     Develop new skills – During the wellness classes and gym I developed many new schools. Not only about exercise and how to better use machines at the gym or how to play certain sports that were unknown to me. But I learnt a lot about some of my class mates and how to work better with them during team sports in wellness. I developed certain skills I already had like gymnastics.

6.     Working collaboratively with others – Although gym was an independent form of exercise, wellness was usually team based throughout grade 11. In grade 11 the sports we did were usually in groups or at least partners. This allowed me to work with many of the class mates that I did not work with before. I did not only develop my team work skills but I also learnt more about my colleagues while playing sports with them. I learnt interesting facts about them and simply got a better insight about the type of people they are.

7.     Engaged with issues of global importance – Both gym and wellness are indirectly dealing with issues of global importance. It is a global fact that maintaining healthy and having a balanced life style is important for ones health and mental state. By partaking in wellness and joining the gym I was improving my lifestyle.

8.     Consider ethical implications – Ethical implications take part in many activities. In wellness ethical implications come along numerous times specially when its team sports. I small example would be for example when your team says the ball didn’t go out but it actually did and the referee asks you. Small situation such as the one mentioned require one to make moral decisions and choices.

PILATES

ABOUT THE ACTIVITY

My mother has been doing Pilates for numerous years, over the summer holiday she challenged me into doing Pilates with her. Sonia, the Pilates instructor holds classes in her apartment for approximately 8 people. Pilates is a form of exercise, which is slow paced. It works majority of the muscles through exercises, which seem like stretches. I did Pilates for a month twice a week and each class was an hour long. My role in this activity was simply being a participant and keeping myself active.

OUTCOMES

1.     Increased awareness of your strengths and areas for growth – Partaking in Pilates gave me the chance to learn about my physical strengths and weakness. Through these classes I learnt that I need to workout certain parts of my body more than others. I learnt the importance of maintain a healthy lifestyle, not only on the short run but on the long run as well. Through this experience I also got to know that pilates is a form of exercise that I am good at.

2.     Undertaking new challenges – Pilates was a form of exercise that was unfamiliar to me. I challenged myself by doing something new. Although I had heard about Pilates I had never attempted it. Pilates is a slow pace exercise and due to this I was a little drawn back from joining the classes. I tend to prefer sports that are faster and more active. I challenged myself into not only joining an unfamiliar sport but joining a sport that did not meet my general interests and preferences. After part taking in the classes and doing Pilates for approximately 8 hours I learnt that Pilates is a form of exercise that I do like and can see myself doing on a constant basis. 

3.     Planned and initiated activities – The instructor Sonia planned every class before hand. The classes rotated in three ways, there was one day that was floor work, the second type of class was using the big gym balls and the third was using a tool called the “magic ring” and a “log”. All students knew all these three activities. Students had a say on the type of exercises that would be done during classes. 

4.     Show perseverance and commitment – All students including myself had to be committed and show perseverance. I was committed to go to the class. The perseverance factor joined in during classes. At times the exercises were either hard or too tiring. Certain Pilates exercises got my muscles tired towards the end of the classes. I had to push through and keep up with what the instructor was doing.

5.     Develop new skills – During the classes I did not only develop a new skill but I also learnt and developed my knowledge about sports (Pilates specifically) and about the human body. I developed my flexibility. I learnt what exercises were the more appropriate for each part of the body and what each exercises worked.

GISS COMMITTEE

ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

The GISS Committee is various committee’s that are all working together in order to plan the Global Issues Service Summit that is taking place in Mozambique in 2015. There are numerous committees and each one has a role and a goal. However there is also a common goal for all which is to successfully plan a summit that will help students from all over the world learn about educational sustainability. The main committee is referred to as the steering committee. The steering committee is composed of all chairs and vice-chairs of the individual committees. Meetings are held in order to update one another about everything that is going on and what has been done and what still requires work.

MY ROLE IN THE COMMITTEE

I’m the chair of the Finance Committee. The finance committee is in charge of obtaining donations and sponsorships to cover all financial expenditures. The committee is brainstorms on possible sponsors, contacts them, puts for a plan and ways in which the given person/company could help and why, and then confirm the sponsorship.  

OUTCOMES

1.     Increased awareness of your strengths and areas for growth – Through my role in the GISS committee I learnt numerous things about myself, many similar to the awareness I gained through being a member in the prom committee. Being in GISS I strengthened my writing skills as well as my persuasive skills. I learnt how to work well with people I do not know very well. An area for growth is once again balance. Learning how to balance everything starting from school work to work from the GISS committee, to work from the prom committee, exercise and etc.

2.     Undertaking new challenges – Just like the prom committee this was an unfamiliar situation to me. It was my first time working with certain members of the committee’s which was a small challenge in the beginning. However, with time I learnt about the members strengths and weaknesses and was able to delegate the work better. Another challenge I faced was writing the email and letters to parents/possible sponsors. The language had to be very formal and although I had the necessary vocabulary it was my first time targeting an older audience. In the beginning it was very time consuming to write the letters however with time it became more of a habit.

3.     Working collaboratively with others – The committee’s (Steering and finance committee) are composed of numerous people. The people that are part of each committee vary from grade 9 to grade 12. This was the first time I was working with many of the people. i am habituated to working with people from my own grade however this was a completely new experience. I was working with people that I did not know very well therefore I was getting to know them as people as well as members.

4.     Show perseverance and commitment – Being part of the finance committee and the steering committee requires me to be committed. Committed to being the chair and following through with my roles, committed to attending all meeting, committed to doing my best. At times with a lot going on it can be an overwhelming experience. When it starts to be an overwhelming experience one needs to persevere and remember that I have committed to this. Perseverance is much needed in an experience like this because there is so much to do in such a short period of time.

5.     Develop new skills – The major skill I developed through this experience was how to communicate in a more formal and persuasive manner. Throughout my time in the committee I had to write numerous letters and contact numerous different people who varied from parents to CEO’s of big companies. In order to convince the given person to either donate or sponsor the event I firstly needed to use formal language to show that I could be taken seriously and secondly I had to use numerous persuasive techniques to appeal to the given person. This was new to me as it was the first time I was in such position.

6.     Engaged with issues of global importance – GISS is a Global Issues Service Summit which aims to educate students from all over the world on issues of global importance. The topic and theme for the 2015 summit is – Educational Sustainability. By being part of the preparations of the summit I am engaging in an issue of global importance. My role in the committee is helping and allowing students to learn about this global matter that is important.

EVIDENCE 

DENTISTRY SHADOWING

ABOUT THE ACTIVITY

Being at the end of 11th grade I was aware of the fact that I had to start finalizing a decision on the field I wished to pursue. I had been interested in the medical field as a whole however I was uncertain on which branch of the vast field better suited my interests. Dentistry has always been an option and due to this I decided to shadow Dr. Miro during my summer holiday. On average I worked 30 hours in a time span of 10 days. Each day I worked for three hours after lunchtime.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.     Increased awareness of your strengths and areas for growth – This experience has allowed me to learn a lot about myself, not only my qualities but also what I desire to have in my future career. When shadowing at the dentistry it came across to me that dentistry could be considered rather monotonous in my perspective. Generally, cases are the same with a couple exceptions now and then. Having been in the given environment I learnt that I would not enjoy a repetitive profession. It taught me that I enjoy doing different things within the same field. Learning this has allowed me to grow as a person as I have learnt something important about myself that has helped me make a better decision about the career I want to pursue. Although I learnt about my ‘likes’ and ‘dislike’ I also came across my strengths and weaknesses. From this experience I have gathered that I improve the manner I use the help that is provided to me. When seeing Dr, Miro work I improve my communication skills and noticed that he was constantly asking the nurses for help even if it was the slightest thing. When reflected it came to my attention that if I were in Dr. Miro’s position I would tend to do it all on my own as I’m an independent person.

2.     Undertaking new challenges – Working experience as well as shadowing/interning was an experience that I had never undergone. This activity was new to me as I was not only learning about the medical field but also about shadowing as a whole. The first challenge I faced was being unaware of my role. As I was new to dentistry I knew that I would not be helping Dr. Miro with patients in a medical manner. Over time I got to know my role in the situation. I was there to observe, learn and later on help in passing materials and etc. This experience was a challenge as it was something completely new to me; I was in an unfamiliar environment learning and observing complex new skills.   

3.     Working collaboratively with others – The medical field involves a lot of team work and cooperation. Although there might be one main doctor, there is team work between the main doctor and the nurses who are present to help and assist. Throughout the shadowing I did not only work collaboratively with Dr. Miro but I also worked with the helpers and one of Dr. Miro’s colleagues. Working with all these different people showed me how the medical field really works and how important it is to be a team player.

4.     Show perseverance and commitment – When Dr. Miro told my mother that he would be okay with me shadowing and when I confirmed this experience with him, I had to be aware of the fact that I was committing to something. This experience has really helped me get a feel of the professional world. I had to not only commit to shadowing but also to being on time and obeying the time schedule. I had to persevere as well. At times the experience got slightly boring because my role in the situation was not the most entertaining, however due to the commitment I had already made, I had to fight through the less entertaining moments.

5.     Develop new skills – From the experience as a whole I have developed numerous skills. One of the skills was learning technical language specific to dentistry. I learnt how the tools are called, basic procedure and etc. I learnt how to communicate in a professional manner as well. I learnt this through the interaction with doctors (dentists) and nurses as well as the interaction I had with the patients. Another skill I have learnt through this is that its important to reflect. I would constantly reflect about how the day had gone when my parents asked me about it. Reflecting allowed me to see where I had to improve, what I could do better and what I was already rather strong at. This has taught me that reflection opens doors to improvement, which is an important fact to know in life.

EVIDENCE